The present invention relates to a door lock apparatus for use in a tape recorder, and more particularly to an improved door lock apparatus in which the door is openable only by tape cassette insertion and not by casual hand operation.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional door opening and closing device for use in a tape recorder. In FIG. 1, a side view of a tape cassette insertion hole for use in the tape recorder adopting a front loading method, is extracted and shown. An insertion hole 25 is formed on a front portion of a housing 20 and enables the insertion of a tape cassette 24 into the device. A door 23 is rotatably connected to an upper portion of the insertion hole 25 via a hinge 22. A torsion spring 21 is connected to hinge 22, so that door 23 rotates elastically.
In such a conventional door opening and closing apparatus as described above, tape cassette 24 is pushed and thus inserted into the apparatus, after coming into contact with the door 23. Here, the door 23 overcomes the elastic force of torsion spring 21, and rotates inwardly. Immediately after the tape cassette 24 passes beyond the door 23, so as to disengage contact therewith (i.e., after the insertion of tape cassette 24 has been completed), the door rotates forward again and is quickly closed by the restoring force of torsion spring 21.
Also, in such a door opening and closing apparatus for use in a front-loading tape recorder, since the door can be readily opened with ease (e.g., by children), foreign objects can be inadvertently placed in the apparatus.